Time correction system, electronic device, timepiece, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9709962-B2
Application number	US-201415035671-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2014
Priority date	Nov 12, 2013
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

A time correction system includes a timepiece, and an electronic device that corrects the time of the timepiece. The electronic device includes a display unit, a time data acquisition unit, a control unit that causes the display unit to display an instruction time of the electronic timepiece, based on the current time, and that calculates a time correction amount from a difference between the current time and the instruction time, and a light source that transmits the time correction amount to the electronic timepiece. The electronic timepiece includes an input unit that receives an operation input for correcting the time displayed by a display unit, a solar cell that receives the time correction amount from the electronic device, and a control circuit that corrects the time displayed by an indicating hand of the display unit, based on the time correction amount.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A time correction system comprising:
a timepiece that has a display unit which causes an indicating hand to display the time; and
an electronic device that includes:
a display unit,
an acquisition unit that acquires the current time,
a determination unit that determines an instruction time for adjusting the time of the timepiece, based on the current time acquired by the acquisition unit,
a display control unit that causes the display unit to display the instruction time determined by the determination unit,
a time correction amount calculation unit that calculates a time correction amount for correcting the time of the timepiece from a difference between the current time acquired by the acquisition unit and the instruction time determined by the determination unit, and
a transmitting unit that transmits the time correction amount calculated by the time correction amount calculation unit to the timepiece, and
wherein the timepiece includes
an input unit that receives an operation input for correcting the time displayed by the display unit,
a receiving unit that receives the time correction amount from the electronic device, and
a control unit that corrects the time displayed by the indicating hand, based on the time correction amount received by the receiving unit.

2. The time correction system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit of the timepiece stops driving the indicating hand, if the input unit receives the operation input for correcting the time, and restarts the driving the indicating hand, if the receiving unit receives the time correction amount.

3. The time correction system according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic device includes an additional correction amount calculation unit which calculates an additional correction amount corresponding to a period of time required for correction in the timepiece, based on the time correction amount calculated by the time correction amount calculation unit, and which adds the calculated additional correction amount to the time correction amount.

4. The time correction system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the transmitting unit of the electronic device transmits the current time together with the time correction amount,
wherein the receiving unit of the timepiece receives the current time together with the time correction amount,
wherein the timepiece includes a clocking unit that clocks the current time, and
wherein the control unit of the timepiece corrects the current time clocked by the clocking unit, based on the current time received by the receiving unit.

5. The time correction system according to claim 1 , wherein the instruction time is the time closest to the current time.

6. The time correction system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the transmitting unit of the electronic device is a light source which transmits an optical signal, and
wherein the receiving unit of the timepiece is a solar cell which receives the optical signal.

7. An electronic device in a time correction system which includes a timepiece having a display unit for causing an indicating hand to display the time and the electronic device, comprising:
a display unit;
an acquisition unit that acquires the current time;
a determination unit that determines an instruction time for adjusting the time of the timepiece, based on the current time acquired by the acquisition unit;
a display control unit that causes the display unit to display the instruction time determined by the determination unit;
a time correction amount calculation unit that calculates a time correction amount for correcting the time of the timepiece from a difference between the current time acquired by the acquisition unit and the instruction time determined by the determination unit; and
a transmitting unit that transmits the time correction amount calculated by the time correction amount calculation unit to the timepiece.

8. A program that causes a computer to execute a process as an electronic device in a time correction system which includes a timepiece having a display unit for causing an indicating hand to display the time and the electronic device, the process comprising:
a step of acquiring the current time;
a step of determining an instruction time for adjusting the time of the timepiece, based on the acquired current time;
a step of causing a display unit to display the determined instruction time;
a step of calculating a time correction amount for correcting the time of the timepiece from a difference between the acquired current time and the determined instruction time; and
a step of transmitting the calculated time correction amount to the timepiece.

Assignees

• Seiko Instr Inc

Inventors

• Ogasawara Kenji
• Takakura Akira
• Koyama Kazuhiro
• Maesawa Tamotsu

Classifications

• G04C9/02

  brought into action by radio transmission · CPC title

• G04R20/26 Primary

  the radio signal being a near-field communication signal · CPC title

• G04C10/02

  the power supply being a radioactive {or photovoltaic} source · CPC title

• G04R60/14

  specific to electromechanical timepieces, e.g. moving parts thereof · CPC title

• G04G5/00

  Setting, i.e. correcting or changing, the time-indication (radio-controlled time-pieces G04R) · CPC title